South African filmmaker John Trengove on withdrawing from the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival

Award-winning South African filmmaker John Trengove canceled his participation in the upcoming Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival (TLâ€‹Vâ€‹Fest). His film,Â The Wound, is scheduled to be the festivalâ€™s opening night film onÂ June 1.

In his letter (copied below) to festival organizers informing them that he was canceling his participation,Â Trengove said:

While I appreciate that the organizers â€‹of TLVFest â€‹may be well intentioned and progressive, it is impossible to look past the fact that the festival (and my participation in it) could serve as a diversion from the human rights violations being committed by the state of Israel.â€ť

He added,

â€śWith the pain of the Apartheid struggle still fresh in our collective consciousness, the issue is, as you can imagine, a very sensitive one for many South Africans. …knowing what I know now, I feel it is imperative that I withdraw myself from attending.

Trengoveâ€™s letter acknowledged that he is unable to withdraw his film from being screened in Israel, because it has already been sold for screening and distribution.Â He said:

â€‹I â€¦ accept that tâ€‹his is a situation that is out of my handsâ€‹,â€‹ though my wish is that the film not be shown in Israel while current conditions persist.

Queer Palestinian activists and the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) warmly welcomed Trengoveâ€™s decision to respect the Palestinian picket-line and cancel his participation in the film festival.

Hind Awwad from PACBI said,

Palestinian civil society warmly thanks John Trengove for his principled solidarity and decision to respect our picket line by cancelling his participation in TLVFest. We hope international artists follow his lead and cancel their participation, denying the Israeli government an opportunity to use their name to cover-up and pink wash its crimes.

It is with sincere regret that I have to inform you that I will not be attending TLâ€‹Vâ€‹fest next week. In the last few days I have been approached by activist organizations as well as members of the South African film communityâ€‹, â€‹urgâ€‹ingâ€‹ me to respect the cultural boycott against Israel, and specifically TLVfestâ€‹.â€‹ With the pain of the Apartheid struggle still fresh in our collective consciousness, the issue is, as you can imagine, a very sensitive one for many South Africansâ€‹.â€‹

The issue of pink washing has also been underscored to me. While I appreciate that the organizers â€‹of TLVfest â€‹may be well intentioned and progressive, it is impossible to look past the fact that the festival (and my participation in it) could serve as a diversion from the human rights violations being committed by the state of Israel.

I understand that it is very late for me to make such a decision, and for this I am sincerely sorry. It is out of naivety, and a desire for my film and the human issues it promotes to be seen as far and wide as possible, that I accepted your invitation several weeks ago. Unfortunately, knowing what I now know, I feel it is imperative that I withdraw myself from attending.

I also understand that the film has already been sold, not just for screening but also for Israeli distribution. â€‹I therefore accept that tâ€‹his is a situation that is out of my handsâ€‹,â€‹ though my wish is that the film not be shown in Israel while current conditions persist.

I hope that you will accept my decision in the spirit that it is intended, which is not a personal attack on you or your team, but motivated by realisation of what deeply personal and political convictions require of me.